Katmandu: At least 39 pilgrims, most of whom are said to be from north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were killed on Sunday when an overcrowded bus, heading for a Hindu festival in southern Nepal, veered off a rain-slicked highway and fell into a flooded canal in southern Nepal.

Information about the Indians involved in the accident can be obtained on the Indian embassy control room number +97714412135.

The bus, carrying 100 to 120 Hindu pilgrims, was heading for a temple situated in the Nawalparasi district, 150 kilometres west of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, police officials said.

Most of the passengers were going to attend the Bolbam festival in Tribenighat, they added.

The accident site -- Gandak Canal -- is located some 250 km south west of Kathmandu.

Among the 39 people killed were 10 women and a girl child. The identities of the deceased are not yet known.

Ten Indians were also injured in the accident. Among ten people, who sustained injuries, five men are being treated in Nawalparasi district hospital, while four men and a woman are being treated in Chaupatta Health Centre at Semori village.